Ghosts of the Past
by PhantomKat
Summary: COMPLETE! Juliet Morgan comes to Paris to write, but when she moves into her new apartment she gets more than she bargained for. To help the spirit, she must solve a mystery and find out the secret of the Moulin Rouge. Please R & R.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everybody! Here's something that I've been working on for the last few months. I'll update every Friday as long as I have reviews. Whether you love it, hate it, find a typo, or think it could be awesome, please review. Enjoy the story!

* * *

_Paris. The city of lights. The city of love. I had come to Paris to forget love and write. I'm a writer by trade, but I had not written anything major until now. _

Juliet Morgan stared at the words she had just typed. It had been a year since she had come to live in this garret just a short distance from the once great Moulin Rouge. She had finally decided to write the story. The events were still fresh in her mind. She took a deep breath and began to type.

_It was a rainy, somewhat depressing day when I arrived in Paris. A friend of mine had promised me a place in the Montmartre. She had come to Paris right after college and never left. Now she was the landlady of an apartment building of the Montmartre. I had just finished a somewhat successful book of short stories and my publisher was eager for me to write more. I had a deadline to meet, a fiancé I'd just left, and the urge to get some peace and quiet from everything from disappointed family members and my ex-fiancé to my small pool of fans. _

The words fell away to memories and she sat staring at her computer screen simply remembering.

There was a chill in the air as she stepped out of the airport. It was a sharp contrast to the warmth of San Antonio. She tugged her scarf tighter around her neck and wondered about the garret she was renting. Marie, a good friend and her soon to be landlord, had told her that the rooms were quite old, but were recently renovated to have all the modern amenities. Marie had also said there was something strange about the place, something unnatural. Perhaps it was all the memories of things that happen in the building.

Juliet arrived at her destination quickly and found Marie just as quickly. They climbed a set of winding stairs until they arrived at a rough looking wooden door. For a moment, Marie fumbled with her key ring, looking for the correct key. She found the correct one and opened the door.

Juliet walked in and dropped her things on the floor. The room was somewhat circular and old, rough furniture decorated the room. Off to the side was another was a wooden door that Juliet assumed led to the bathroom. In one corner, there was a small kitchen area with a small refrigerator and a microwave. A small alcove held a bed and a small table. It was cozy and sort of reminded her of a dorm room. The one thing that really held her attention was large archways like windows that lead to a balcony. Juliet stared out at the landscape of streets and buildings.

"If you're going to go out there, then be careful. There are no guardrails or anything," cautioned Marie.

Juliet looked back at her friend with a grin on her face.

"This place is fabulous, Marie. It's a perfect place for writing. It's quiet and private. All I need is a subject," she trailed off thinking.

"You could write about how it's better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all…"

Marie realized what she had said just as the words slipped from her mouth. Her eyes widened slightly and she clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Sorry," she squeaked out through her hand. Juliet noticed that her friend's ears were growing pink. That was a sure sign of her embarrassment.

"Marie, it's all right. I'm over Charlie. He doesn't matter anymore."

"Really? Well, if you ever need anything or need to talk," she placed a key in Juliet's hand. "I'm just downstairs."

She turned and left the room with her ears still a light pink. Pocketing the key, Juliet turned around to admire her surroundings. The door slamming behind her made her jump and spin around to find no one there.

_I was so sure that Marie had closes the door behind her, but I was also sure that the door had slammed. I told myself it was someone else's door slamming or it was just my imagination. The problem was that the sound had been so close, and I had never imagined anything like that before. Nothing seemed conceivable._

Try as she might she couldn't come up with a plausible excuse. She felt eyes on her and chills ran up her spine. Frowning, she shook her head and looked around. There was no possible place for anyone to hide. A cool wind circled her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Now she was a little freaked out.

"It's just from outside," she reassured herself.

However, she still felt the eyes watching her as she unpacked her belongings and placed her luggage somewhat unceremoniously in a corner. The only bag that was left out was a rectangular black cloth briefcase. Juliet took the case and set it carefully on a table next to one of the large windows.

Feebly, sunlight penetrated through the grey rain clouds that hung over the city. The scent of rain was on the air and the dingy mood of the streets matched that of the sky. Juliet unzipped the case and pulled out a black laptop. As she booted up the machine, she glanced at the battery indicator. The light glowed green for a moment before blinking to red, indicating a low battery. Juliet stared at the light perplexed.

_I was sure that I had charged it before leaving Texas. The power should have been at full, because I hadn't used it until now. It was as if something was sucking the energy out of my computer. I passed it off as an electronic failure. _

Due to the events that had happened just moments ago, Juliet wasn't completely convinced that the problem was electronic. Never the less, she plugged in her machine and entered a writing program. She sat staring at the blank white page and blinking cursor trying to think of what to write. The cursor blinked mockingly as she racked her brain for ideas, but her mind was as blank as the page in front of her. Her hands were poised above the keyboard; ready to type when an idea struck her.

Silence surrounded her until suddenly something very unexpected happened. The sound of a key clicking sounded in the empty room. The once blank page had the number two sitting next to the flashing cursor. Juliet stared at the number and removed her hands from the keyboard. Even though her fingers had rested on the keys, her fingers were nowhere near the line of numbers and she was positive that she hadn't typed a thing. Another click sounded. This time an 'M' appeared on the screen. Juliet jumped up and nearly fell backwards out of shock. The phantom typist noticed none of her actions as it continued typing. Suddenly the typing stopped as abruptly as it had started. Juliet looked at the screen.

moulin rouge help chr

The last word ended as if the writer had been too fatigued to finish the word.

"Chr," she thought. "Who is Chr?"

She peered at the words, trying to figure out their meaning. The machine's screen abruptly turned to black. According to the battery power indicator there was no power. Puzzled, Juliet glanced at the cord that she had plugged into the wall. It was still in the socket and still in the laptop. She closed the top, unplugged it, and backed away. There was an uneasy feeling swirling around in the air. There was another presence. A swift gust of wind blew through the open windows, brushing away the invisible force. Rain began to pelt the city. Quickly, Juliet closed the French doors fastened on the windows. The comforting sound of rain hitting the windows and walls began to lull her to sleep. She fell onto the cot-like bed, succumbing to the tiredness that filled her body.

-X-

When she awoke, the rain had stopped and darkness still blanketed the skyline. Juliet focused her eyes on the glow-in-the-dark watch hands that read 4:06. She sighed and rolled over to get back to sleep, but she knew that once she was up, she was up. The air smelled sweet with rain as she opened one of the doors and stepped out. The balcony was still wet with rain that had fallen just hours ago.

_All was quiet. It was amazing to think that in just a few hours the sun would rise and the streets would be full of people hurrying to one place or another. I stared out, lost in thought until I felt something I'd never felt before. _

Juliet felt the brush of fingertips on her wrist. She whirled around, but saw nothing. The only things around her were spider webs.

"That's what it was," she said to herself. "Spider webs."

The wind blew the silky strands towards her so they brushed her skin. The feeling was different. The first felt like someone was reaching out to her; trying to get her attention. It was like a hand was trying to grasp my wrist to show her something. After resolving to ask Marie about the incidents, she sat back and waited for Paris to come to life.

-X-

Juliet ran into Marie while climbing the stairs after returning from shopping at a local market. She was holding two bags in her left hand as she unlocked her door with her right. Due to her unbalance, it was very difficult to complete this task.

"Here, let me help you."

Marie reached out, fit the key into the lock, and turned it easily.

"Thanks." Juliet placed the bags on the floor and turned to Marie. She opened her mouth to speak, but Marie beat her to the punch.

"I've just been showing a new tenant around and I noticed that you needed some help. How have you been getting along?"

"Fine, just fine. I need to adjust to the hours though. Just one question."

Marie's enthusiastic smile dimmed. She responded with more enthusiasm than she felt.

"Ask away."

"Alright. You said there were a few incidents her," she gestured to the flat. "What were they?"

Marie looked a bit relived as she answered.

"There were a few reports of strange occurrences; seeing a man or something, but none of the stories could be explained. Why? Have you seen anything?"

"Me? Um, no. I was just curious."

The last thing she needed was a ghost following her around. She chatted with Marie a moment longer before slipping into her flat. While putting the food away she glanced toward her laptop. The machine hadn't been used since the day of the invisible typist. It sat closed, waiting to be used. However, Juliet didn't want to use it until she had a story idea or the abnormal occurrences were either stopped or explained.

She thought about what Marie had said, 'strange occurrences that couldn't be explained.'

"Most paranormal activity can't be explained."

She glanced at the carton of milk in her hand and at the refrigerator. She quickly opened the door and hoped she didn't see flames and demons saying "Zul." Inside the appliance sat only food. Juliet sighed, put the milk away, and chided herself for letting her imagination run away with her. Quickly, she put away the food and folded up the bags. She wanted to get out of the apartment and get away from the uneasy feeling of being in the flat. However, she had nowhere else to go.

Grabbing a pen and one of her many notebooks she sat down at her makeshift kitchen table. The paper was no better than her computer. Try as she might, she couldn't find an idea to transfer to paper. Her mind was to busy with thoughts of hallucinations and ghosts.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The sound of dripping water filled the otherwise quiet apartment. The loud drops unnerved her and she began to search for the source. It couldn't come from outside; the rain had dried up from the other day. The kitchen was also stricken because she could see the sink from where she was sitting. That left one place—the bathroom.

_All my childhood ghost stories flooded back into my mind as I walked to the bathroom. Stories of dead dogs and dripping blood. When I got to the small room, a very different sight greeted me. _

The door was closed when she arrived. She opened the door and some steam seeped out. Water dripped from the faucet.

"Gotcha," she muttered as she turned off the water.

Condensation covered the mirror. She cleared the lower portion and wondered how this had happened. As she wiped off the last of the condensation so she could see her face, a man appeared in the mirror. Juliet jumped and turned around looking for the man who should have been standing right behind her. There was no one there. She turned back to the mirror to see the stranger still staring at her.

"What do you want?"

The figure gestured to the upper part of the mirror and disappeared. Juliet looked up and what she saw stunned her.

An invisible finger had begun to write on the mirror. An 'm' appeared first.

"What is this? The Shining?"

The rest of the letters appeared until the message was complete.

"Moulin Rouge? What about it?"

Nothing answered her.

She needed to get out and away even if it was only for a little while. Grabbing her jacket, she practically raced out the door nearly over a man on his way to the apartment beside hers, down the stairs, and into the Montmartre.

Quietly, she walked along contemplation the events of the past week and today's message on her mirror. Night began to fall around her. Streetlights came on, blocking out the stars with their bright beams. People hurried around Juliet to get home and be with their families. Juliet just walked on until she reached the Moulin Rouge.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everybody! Thanks for stopping by to read the new chapter and thanks to my two reviewers - you guys rock my sox! Anyway here it is, the next enstallment of Ghosts of the Past.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Moulin Rouge. I do however own the soundtrack and my character, Juliet Morgan.

Enjoy!

* * *

Gates barred the entrance, but beyond them, Juliet could see decrepit buildings that still retained some of their original splendour. A large elephant stood in the middle of the garden area and in front of that was a windmill. Debris littered the cobblestone streets. Strands of old electric lights hung from the buildings, untouched for decades.

Juliet leaned against the gates, trying to imagine the way it had looked in its prime. Curiously, as she leaned against the gates, she felt herself falling forward. She realized that she really was falling forward. Her weight made the gates swing open. The lock and chain that had restricted the entrance lay on the ground. If it had not been for the other strange incidents, Juliet would have been scared out of her mind. However, since she had seen the man in the mirror, Juliet just rolled her eyes, stepped through the threshold and said,

"I get the message."

The light from the streetlights bled into the gated area giving it an eerie felling. Juliet stepped around a crumbling wall that surrounded a Gothic tower. Faint music came from a building behind the elephant. At first, Juliet figured that a bunch of kids had gotten in somehow, but then she remembered that the gates had been locked and there was no other visible way to get in. Cautiously, she made her way to the main building's doors. The singing was becoming clearer and Juliet could hear that it was an upbeat tune with a woman singing in some sort of foreign language.

Some of the streetlights shone in through holes in the ceiling and walls. What caught her attention was the fact that there was an enormous production going on in front of an audience of at least a hundred men and women all dressed in the high fashion of the late 1800s. Speechless, Juliet watched the strange Indian-style dance. The dancers parted and the sound of a woman vocalizing filled the air.

A decorated platform began to rise to the stage. Some of the audience members stood and applauded. Juliet was confused as to what the audience was cheering for; the platform was empty. As the platform kept ascending, the performers and the audience began to fade. The vocalizing the people had completely disappeared and all that was left was a broken building.

"She never appears, you know."

Juliet's eyes grew wide as she turned to find the speaker. She had been sure that she was alone.

_I turned to find a handsome young man looking at me curiously. He was dressed in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a vest, and dark grey trousers. The clothes were slightly disheveled, as was his dark brown hair. His voice was pleasant with a soft English accent. There was only one thing that unnerved me; light shone right through him and he cast no shadow. _

"Who are you?"

He stuck out his hand.

"Christian."

She reached out to take his hand, but her own hand went right through it. Juliet uttered a small shriek and Christian mumbled a curse.

"Sorry. It takes a while to get used to the materializing. I haven't done it in ages."

He screwed his eyes shut, like he was he was concentrating very hard and his hand grew more solid. One of his eyes opened to see if that had done the trick. Seeing that it had, he opened his other eye and held out his hand again. They shook hands and Juliet noticed that there was something familiar about this man.

"You seem very familiar. Have I seen your somewhere before?"

"Um, I don't think so."

Christian did not meet her eyes as he answered. Juliet peered closer at his face.

"You!" Christian cringed a bit. "You're the one I saw earlier today. What were you doing in my apartment? Is that how you get your kicks? By scaring people?"

Christian rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I-I'm terribly sorry about that, but I had to catch your attention somehow. He grinned at her hopefully. Juliet crossed her arms over her chest.

"Explain."

"I came here to write, write about love when I fell for Satine. Satine was the star of the Moulin Rouge." Christian explained quickly as if he was afraid that she would stop him and leave. "We fell in love while working on a play, _Spectacular, Spectacular_, but she-she died young. When I died, I hoped that we'd be together again, but I've been a ghost for over ninety years and I haven't once seen her. I need someone to help me find her again."

He finished, took in a deep breath, and waited for an answer.

"All right." Christian's grin returned to his face. "But, we need to set some ground rules."

"Ground rules?"

"Yes. First, you are to announce your presence. No more surprises. If you want to appear, rap twice."

"On what?"

"Whatever's available. Second, you are to tell me everything that you can remember about this whole affair. Every detail, no matter how small."

"Agreed, but I have a few conditions of my own."

Juliet raised an eyebrow, but let him continue.

"Don't change anything in the apartment. And you have to trust me."

"Is that all?"

Christian nodded, but then stopped suddenly.

"One more thing. I have to know who I'm addressing."

Juliet smiled. "Agreed. I'm Juliet Morgan."

They shook hands again to seal the deal and departed to Juliet's flat.

-X-

After returning to the garret, Christian explained everything n more detail and told her about the vile Duke. Christian left soon after, for the hour was late. Juliet sat curled up underneath a blanket and stared out the windows at the inky black night sky.

Why was Christian still there after all these years? Why was Satine not there? Why her? There were too many questions and not enough answers to satisfy her.

_If anything, I figured that to find any answers, I would have to travel back to the Moulin Rough. I had only been there once, but I had not been able to look around properly. That evening I would go back to the Moulin Rouge and try to solve this mystery._

Eventually, her musings lead her to sleep. No dreams entered her mind that night, except one. She was falling to a hard floor in a room lit by gas lamps. A cold figure of a man was standing over her with his hard, cruel eyes gleaming at the fact that she was falling. She wanted to cry out, to scream, but she couldn't. Her head hit the floor and she blacked out.

Her eyes fluttered open and she found that she was still safe in her flat. Darkness still covered the city and no one else was around. A shiver rolled down her spine and she clutched the blanket more tightly until it covered all of her. Her head lolled on her shoulder and she fell asleep once more not to wake until mid-afternoon.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everybody! New chapter! Yay! And before you ask, yes I have had sugar today. Part of this chapter may get confusing in the way I typed it, so just FYI the bold italics are a flashback. Thanks to Rosemarie-ouhisama, firebolt669, and xDancingInTheSnowx for all your awesome reviews. Well, that's about it. Disclaimer at the bottom. Enjoy!

* * *

She awoke to the sound of a soft knock on the door. Slowly, her eyes flickered open and she began to get her bearings. The sun shone brightly and her neck was sore from sleeping in a chair. The blanket was still wrapped around her, but sometime during the night, the fabric had slipped off her shoulders and gathered around her elbows and torso. Standing up, she faintly remembered meeting Christian. She wondered if it could have all been a dream. 

_Knock, knock, knock._

Quickly, she counted the raps and found that there were three. It was not Christian, whether he be real or imagined, and it was coming from her door. She stumbled sleepily to the door, unlocked it, and opened it.

_Whatever I was expecting, the man standing outside the door was not it. He was taller than I was and had intense, chocolate brown eyes and hair just like Christian's, dark brown and disheveled. He looked friendly enough, but I wondered what he was doing there. _

The strange man stuck out his hand as he began to speak. Juliet took his hand and, unlike Christian's hand, stayed solid.

"Hi, I'm Neil Phillips, your neighbour."

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Phillips. Is there something you need? A cup of sugar perhaps?"

Neil grinned and withdrew his hand to retrieve something in his back pocket. A moment, later his hand was back, holding a white envelope and underneath that was a parchment style envelope. He looked down at the address and back up at Juliet with a half-grin slowly appearing on his face.

"Are you Miss Juliet Morgan?"

"Yes."

"Marie wanted me to give this to you."

He handed her the letters, the top, which bore the return address of her publisher and the second, which had her name and address written with calligraphy. These letters in white envelopes usually conveyed either good or bad news and Juliet had a feeling that this one was bad. Recognizing that it was his cue to leave, Neil began to walk back to his apartment, but not before bidding her farewell.

"I hope to see you again, Miss Juliet Morgan."

Juliet smiled at Neil's retreating back, and then turned her attention back to the letters.

Once out of the hallway and in the privacy of her flat, Juliet set the parchment envelope on the kitchen counter, for she knew who that was from, and cautiously ripped open the other envelope and pulled out the letter. She scanned her eyes quickly over it and sunk into a chair.

_Rap, rap. _

"Come in." The arm over her face muffled the words.

Christian's disembodied voice filled the air.

"What?"

She replied not moving from her position in the chair, but she moved her arm so that she could be heard. "Come in, materialize, or whatever it is that you do."

She raised her head slightly to see Christian appear before her. A fine mist moved through the room and settled on the floor. From there the mist swirled up into a tall column and began amassing human features, until the mist took on a male shape. The mist carved out finer features until Christian was visible.

"Hello."

"Hey, Christian."

"What's wrong?"

She held out the letter to him.

"Go ahead and read it. I don't mind."

Christian squinted at the words and read aloud.

"Dear Miss Morgan, I wish to remind you that your deadline has been set at May 25. Failure to send in your work will result in consequences…that's horrible."

"I have less than fourteen days to write and original novel-length story. It can't be done."

Christian was silent for a moment, his eyes downcast. He pondered not only if he should leave her alone with her melancholy, but also if there was anyway that he could help her. Suddenly, his expression brightened as an idea struck him.

"It's actually quite doable."

"No offense, Christian, but I'm really not in the mood for all that Children of the Revolution thinking."

"No, listen." He went to sit on the table across from her, but missed and instead sat suspended in the air. "After Satine's death, I wrote our story. It was a good length when I finished and you could use that."

Juliet sat up excitedly.

"Really, Christian?! That's-that's amazing! Where is it?"

"It's…" Christian's face fell, as did Juliet's.

"Christian, where is the manuscript?"

Christian rubbed the back of his neck ashamedly.

"I-I don't actually remember where I put it."

Juliet fell back into the chair.

"Christian! This is supposed to help me, not have me running around everywhere."

"Well, there are only two places it could be. Here," he gestured around the apartment. "Or the Moulin Rouge."

Juliet looked at him somewhat annoyed.

"You want me to search the entire Moulin Rouge?"

Christian looked at her hopefully.

"Fine," sighed Juliet. "I was going to go tonight anyway, but you're coming with me."

Christian nodded. "Until tonight, then.

With a small wave, he disappeared.

Juliet stood up and realised how hungry she was. She set down her letter on her kitchen table and retrieved a green apple form a small bowl. Leaning against the table, she bit into it, let the juice run down her chin, and got lost in thought.

Christian watched her from the balcony still invisible to her. This was one of the only times he watched people without them knowing. As she bit into the apple, he wondered what it must feel like, what it must taste like.

Ghosts do not need food, drink, or sleep to remain on the earthly plain, just a reason that binds them here. If only he could figure out what was keeping him here and figure out why he could not find Satine.

He looked back at Juliet. She had a coating of sweet, sticky juice on her face and hand, but she was lost in thought and paid those details no mind.

Christian knew what it was like to daydream; dying had not taken that luxury from him. Still, he wondered what it was like to sleep and dream. That was another thing he liked to watch and wonder about--sleep.

Juliet, he remembered, looked so peaceful when she slept; just like Satine. Little things that Juliet did reminded him of Satine and made him miss his love even more.

He sat against the wall with his arms resting on his knees and waited. For in a few hours time they would find the manuscript and possibly Satine along with it.

-X-

Night eventually fell and the streetlights seemed dimmer than the night before. Clouds covered the sky and only a small slice of the moon showed.

Juliet shrugged on her navy blue hoodie and grabbed a flashlight. She flicked on the light to check the batteries. They worked, just barely.

"Christian, you can come out now."

Christian walked in from the balcony. He looked more tired, more spent, yet hopeful.

"Where do we start?"

"If we get into it, we'll start at the Elephant."

They began to walk through the door, but Juliet stopped and turned back to Christian holding the flashlight aloft.

"If you need to pull energy, could you not take it from the flashlight batteries? They have only a limited life."

Christian looked surprised, but nodded nonetheless.

They walked down the street in silence at first. Juliet hugged her hoodie around her frame. A light wind added to the cold that Christian caused. She looked briefly at her companion. He seemed lost in thought and Juliet hated to disturb him from his musings, but she had more questions that she wanted answered. The main inquiry she had was: Why her? Why not someone who had come before her? Why couldn't this have all been solved years ago? Finally, she decided to wake Christian from his thoughts.

"Christian, why is it that you chose me?"

He stopped in his tracks and blinked at the question as if he did not understand what she was asking. That, however, was not the case. He understood; it was just that he had no real answer. The other people he had tried never helped. Was it because she was willing? Why was she willing?

"I guess it's because you were the first to actually help."

"Surely, there must have been others before me. They wouldn't help?"

"It might have been a case of couldn't help. Most of them couldn't see me and those who could didn't have reactions like yours."

"Like mine? What do you mean?"

"Well, those who could see me either thought I was a figment of their imagination or thought I was evil."

"You…evil?"

"Yeah," he chuckled fondly. "One tenant actually tried to exorcise me."

"Obviously, it didn't work."

"Actually, it worked for about three weeks, and then I came back. They moved out a week later."

"So, when I came along you decided to give me a try?"

Christian shrugged. "I tried everyone that resided there. You were the only one who did anything. Why?"

Juliet realised that Christian did not know much of her history even thought she knew most of his. How was she to explain why her mother called her "special"? It was best just to tell it like it was.

"I have had my "gift" since I was very young." She began walking again. It was easier to talk this way. She knew that Christian would not find anything strange about it, but in her experience, the rest of the world would. Early in her teenage years, she had learned either not to talk about it or to tell the person without looking at them for encouragement. "The first spirit I saw was a kitten in my living room. I thought my mother had finally caved in and gotten me a pet, but when I asked her about it, she thought I was imagining things. No one else could see the cat but me.

"At that time we lived in Louisiana and I would see ghosts everywhere; on the streets, in houses, anywhere, but they didn't react to me. One weekend we visited my grandmother and my great aunt. They still lived in an old mansion in the bayous. Other similar manors dotted the area and my grandmother gave us permission to visit anyone that we wished. Being naturally curious, I grabbed my bike and pedaled to the closest one." Juliet smiled at the memory.

_**The house was old and neglected, but still beautiful. A high wrought iron fence surrounded the property and a similar gate with an iron 'G' started at the dirt driveway that led to the front doors of the mansion. The house itself was amazing. Wrought iron columns matched the gate and a wide stairway seemed welcoming. On the right, connected to the house, was a greenhouse looking structure. Spanish moss hung from the gnarled branches of long dead trees. A young Juliet stared at the mansion from the main road, wishing that she could enter. Perhaps if there was no lock…**_

"Juliet?"

Christian shook her out of her memories with is concerned tone. She flashed him a small reassuring grin and continued with her story.

"Anyway, I entered the manor and a voice called out to me saying something about foolish mortals. It was then that I met the master of the manor. His name was Edward and he was rather handsome." She sighed happily at the memory of the man.

"How old were you?"

"Fifteen, maybe sixteen. He showed me around the house and then I learned the truth. My sister found me and told me that it was time to come home." Once again, her words faded into memories.

_**Nichole's voice rang out through the empty rooms. It seemed that Edward was the only one to live in the house. "Juliet!" Her voice seemed to tremble as she searched out her sister. When she found her, Juliet was in a room that looked to be a study. Rows of books lined the walls around the room and behind a grand piano was the greenhouse area Juliet had seen earlier. Juliet sat on a corner of a grand desk at one end of the room and seemed to be looking at the throne-like chair behind the piece like she was listening to someone. A heavy leather-bound book lay open in her lap.**_

"_**Juliet," called Nichole hesitantly. Juliet looked up from her book and her would-be discussion. "Mama says to come home for supper." Juliet looked at the younger girl for a moment and then back at the chair before answering. **_

"_**Nichole, do you see…"**_

_**The younger girl shook her head vehemently. "I don't see anything but you, so can we go now? I'm hungry."**_

"_**Sure," said Juliet still staring at the chair this time in confusion. "I'll be right there." **_

_**What Nichole did not see in the chair was a man. He was very regal looking, but now a look of sheepishness settled on his features. **_

"It was then that I realised that I could not only see the spirits, but also communicate with them. I gave him an earful for deceiving me, but in the end, we became friends. I visited him everyday until it was time to go back home. Even after that, we kept in touch. I'd send him letters, and he'd sent news back. It still goes on in fact; I got a letter from him earlier today. I suppose it was your unique way of catching my attention that prompted my reaction."

Christian smiled guiltily. "I did tell you that I was sorry about that, right?"

Juliet nodded. "Yes, but it's nice to hear it again."

They walked on, satisfied with the new information. Juliet hoped that they got to the Moulin Rouge and got to the bottom of this quickly.

-X-

The once magnificent Elephant stood in the center of the Moulin Rouge. Now it was faded, dusty, and falling apart. Juliet worried about the structural stability and promised herself that this would be a quick trip. Quietly, Christian floated behind her hoping that they would find something.

The stairs they were climbing creaked under her weight. The sound unnerved her and put her on edge. Some of the wood had rotted and Juliet had to be vigilant, lest she misstep and possibly join Christian in his afterlife.

Not that it wouldn't be too bad, she reflected. He would be good to spend eternity with, but he may not ever find is love if she left.

_Unfortunately, my musings broke my watchfulness and I stepped on a rotted board. My heart and stomach leapt. Fear pulsed through every part of my body. Contrary to popular belief, I saw no flashbacks of my life. I only worried about the pain I would cause my father. _

_You see, he never stopped grieving for my mother after her death. He would have died himself if I left for the ethereal plain also. _

Just before falling all the way through the flight of stairs to the ground floor, a hand grabbed Juliet's elbow and held her so she could regain her footing. While she caught her breath, she looked up at Christian, who looked at her with much concern. Though she said nothing, her eyes, which held the makings of tears, showed a silent thank-you.

"You're welcome."

Juliet resumed climbing the stairs, and her heart still pounded. They finally reached the door that lead to Satine's previous room without any other mishaps.

Like most of the area, the room had fallen into disrepair. Magnificent Indian ornaments that were once gold, were now tarnished. Various fabrics around the room were frayed, faded, and mildewed.

"Christian, are you sure you put the pages in here?"

"Actually, no, but it wouldn't hurt to look."

Juliet nodded ruefully and opened a few of the drawers of the vanity. There was nothing that could have remotely resembled a manuscript.

"Anything?"

Christian shook his head. Juliet groaned inwardly, and, as she kept looking, racked her brain for any story ideas she might have.

Unknown to either of the searchers, a third figure slipped through the door and glided down the stairs. Once out in the open, the figure traveled to what was left of the Gothic Tower. When it reached the Duke's old rooms, the figure stopped and waited to be addressed. A cold, cruel voice rang out in the empty hall.

"Report."

* * *

Can't you just feel the suspense?! Yeah, ok. Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Juliet and Neil. I know it's sad. If you can guess where I got Edward and his mansion from you get a cookie (::) and a hug! So review!  



	4. Chapter 4

Short chapter this time! Yay! Sorry this was so late, but it's here now, right? Anyway...hugs and a cookie to firebolt669, your first guess as to Edward's origin was correct. Now sit back, relax, read, and review. Enjoy!

I don't own anything related to the Moulin Rouge.

* * *

After walking gingerly down the stairs and checking the main performance building, there was only one place left to look-the Gothic Tower. The crumbling ruins looked eerie and foreboding. An aura of the malevolent seemed to hang around the building. It reminded Juliet of the old house at the end of her street, the one everyone said was haunted. There was a chill in the air, even without Christian sucking the energy out of the atmosphere. Juliet shivered, not just because of the cold, but had to go in.

After taking a deep breath, Juliet walked to the threshold with Christian right behind her.

_The interior was unlike the rest of the Moulin Rouge, sure, it was falling apart and it was dark, but it was not as decrepit as the other buildings. The stone had preserved the rooms and, fortunately, the stairs. An old, Persian rug had not been so lucky. Holes penetrated the threads at the edges and those edges were frayed. Old tapestries and small paintings held the same fate. _

A rat skittered in front of Juliet, causing her to jump back and gasp.

"What is…?"

Slamming into an invisible barrier cut off Christian's words. He fell backwards onto the stone floor with a groan. He flickered in and out like a television with a bad signal. After shuddering a few times, the flickering stopped and he lay on his back with his eyes wide.

"Christian!" Juliet ran to him and kneeled at his side. Christian sat up slightly with his hand on his head and a dazed expression on his face. "Are you okay?"

He closed his eyes trying to make the sensations go away before answering her.

"I'm alright. It just tingles."

He got up with some help from Juliet and placed his hand where the barrier was. Something like a bolt of electricity jolted through his transparent body. Christian looked at the barrier and back at his hand with his surprised expression replaced by a look of wonder.

"I guess this means I'll stay out here, then."

"I guess so."

Juliet waved feebly to him as she disappeared into the stone tower. The stone steps were much sturdier than the wooden ones of the Elephant. She flicked her flashlight on and let the beam guide her. At the end of the stairway was a strong wooden door, which pushed open easily. Inside was much like the rest of the Moulin Rouge, except this room was more furnished. A long, dusty table sat parallel to large leaded windows that overlooked all of the Moulin Rouge. The flashlight beam swung around to see if there was any place to hide typewritten pages. The flashlight beam flickered and began to fade.

"Oh no, no, no, no," she muttered panicked.

The beam went out with only the light from the outside to guide her movements.

"Good evening, Miss Morgan."

_My name. How did he know my name? A gaslight on the opposite side of the room flickered to life. I dropped the flashlight and it clattered to the floor. Another gaslight came on. _

"Who are you?"

"My underlings call me 'sir' and my superiors call me 'the Duke'."

"The Duke?" She tried not to sound nervous and tried to maintain the status quo.

The last gaslight illuminated this ghost's semi-solid form. He was tall with cruel eyes. His blonde hair fell to just above his shoulders and he sported a neatly trimmed moustache. His clothes were much finer than Christian's, a symbol of the Duke's status. As he advanced, Juliet felt compelled to back away, but she stood her ground.

The door slammed and Juliet whirled around to see a hulking, austere looking bald man, who was also stylishly dressed, standing in front of the door. The ghosts had cut off all of her known exits.

"My manservant, Warner."

The man nodded to acknowledge his introduction. She turned back to the Duke to see him standing quite close to her. He smirked at the fear that had begun to show in her eyes and began to walk around her as he spoke.

"I know you are searching for something. Perhaps I can help you in your little endeavor." He stopped behind her and moved closer to her. She could feel his cold enveloping her as he curled his fingers around her shoulders.

"Is there some special reason you came here?"

Fear seemed to have frozen her body. She could not move, she could not think properly, and she felt bound by invisible ropes.

"The manuscript," she managed to blurt out.

The Duke released his hold on her and Juliet was able to react again. She clutched her arms around her body, shivering from the cold. The Duke had walked in front of her.

"Manuscript?"

"Yes. Christian's manuscript."

The Duke's eyes clouded over and anger flashed through them like lightning. He hated any mention of that insolent writer.

"Christian," he muttered darkly. He turned his attention to Juliet. "Why would I have anything of Christian's?" His anger began to mount and his glare made her cower. "You waltz in here uninvited, and think that I would have something of that whelp's?"

Juliet backed into a wall and found that she had no place left to go. She was so taken aback at the Duke's outburst that she did not notice Warner's movements.

"Warner, take care of our guest."

"But do you have any idea…"

Before she could finish her request, a transparent hand clapped over her mouth and an arm grabbed her shoulders cutting her off. Desperately, she clawed at the hand, but it was unrelenting. Her muffled cries, she realised, could not be heard by anyone and even if Christian heard them, he would not be able to do anything. Hot tears began to creep down her face.

The cold figure of the Duke was standing over her with his hard, cruel eyes gleaming at the fact that she was struggling. Darkness started to creep into her eyes until blackness took over completely and she slipped limply to the floor. There she lay; sprawled in a depressing site, with two ghosts looking at her before they disappeared and one by one the gaslights flickered out.


	5. Chapter 5

And now my friends, Chapter 5! does Kermit yell Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, I hope that you continue your actions of reviewing and that many follow in your footsteps. Now, on with the show...er, chapter! By the way, I own nothing.

* * *

Juliet felt warm hands massaging her wrists. A moan escaped her lips, and the hands' owner noticed.

"Miss Morgan? Juliet?"

At the mention of her name, Juliet's eyes fluttered open and she began to sit up.

"Whoa, whoa. Take it easy."

The world spun for a moment until she could focus on a pair of brown eyes. Why did they look familiar? She racked her brain and came up with the one person she could think of.

"Neil?"

The eyes twinkled as she propped herself up on her elbows and felt her head. She winced as her hand touched a bruise on the side of her head.

"You must have had a nasty fall to get that."

"Yeah, I-I guess so."

Neil helped her to her feet. The gaslights had been turned off and the sky was still dark. A thought struck Juliet.

"Neil, what are you doing here?"

"Besides rescuing a damsel in distress?"

She nodded numbly.

"I wanted to check this place out. I didn't think it would be so cold downstairs, though."

"_Christian," _she thought. "_Oh, man. He must be freaking out."_

She started to walk forward, but she collapsed, luckily, right into Neil's arms. Now his demeanor changed from humourous to concerned. As he pulled her up, she tried not to realize how strong he was, how nice he smelled, or how he looked at her.

"You're not going anywhere on your own." Neil slung her arm around his neck and guided her along.

With Neil's help, Juliet made it to the ground floor where Christian paced nervously. He saw her after she passed the invisible barrier and a look of concern replaced his original antsy expression as he ran up to her.

"Are you alright?"

Neil's head perked up like her heard a noise in the distance.

"We'll talk about it later," she murmured quietly. Neil was looking at her and to the left of her strangely, as if he knew someone was there.

"Can he see you?" Juliet muttered the words out of the corner of her mouth so Neil could not see.

"Unlikely. I'm not using enough energy. Plus, there are only a few people who can actually see apparitions."

"Let's keep it that way."

Finally, they made it back to the apartments and ascended the stairs quietly, as not to wake Marie or any of the other tenants that were sleeping. There was a slight pause as Juliet fumbled in her jeans pocket for her keys.

Her head felt numb and all she wanted to do was sleep, but she had to tell Christian about her encounter with the Duke. It was strange. She never felt like this around Christian when he had to gather energy from her. Why was this any different? She felt like everything had been drained out of her. What could he have taken? She resolved to ask Christian if he knew anything.

The door swung open and Neil helped her through the threshold. She collapsed in the chair she had slept in the night before. The chair was so comfortable and she was ready to sleep for hours. She laid back and closed her eyes. Neil's voice whispered in her ear.

"Will you be alright or do you want me to stay?"

Slowly, Juliet opened her eyes to find Neil's face inches from hers. Her head throbbed and she was trying not to slip into silent slumber before she had to.

"No…" she answered just as quietly, but her voice was weaker. "I just need to sleep."

"I'll come back tomorrow to make sure you're all right."

As she closed her eyes again, she felt his hand push her disheveled hair from her face. He paused, uncertain what to do. For a moment, Juliet thought that he was going to kiss her, but the hand left her face and seconds later Juliet heard the door shut silently.

A sigh escaped her lips and she began to succumb to slumber. She suddenly remembered Christian.

"Christian, why do I feel like this? It never happens with you."

Christian thought for a moment before answering softly, "He fed off something more than your heat."

She raised her head up to look at him.

"What?"

"He fed off your fear."

She closed her eyes and put her head back down. Fear. That was why he grew more powerful the longer she was there. Sleep was closing in, but she had so much to tell Christian. She fought to regain semi-consciousness, but sleep's hold was too much.

"Christian…" Her voice was barely a whisper.

The spectre put a calming, albeit cold, hand on her arm.

"I understand. We'll talk later."

She smiled weakly as a thank-you and her breathing steadied. Christian picked up the blanket that lay on the floor beneath the chair and covered Juliet's sleeping form with it. He sat across from her and just watched her, lost in thought.

She was lucky that the Duke only knocked her out. Christian remembered when Satine ran to him after being assaulted by the Duke. Like it or not, he was becoming fond of the mortal. She was sort of like a sister to him. He knew it would be hard to say good-bye to the woman that was risking her well-being to find his manuscript. Her rhythmic breathing lulled him into a dreamlike state that lasted for hours.

-X-

She slept soundly, watched over by her ghostly guardian. It was not until the sun's rays peeked over the buildings of the Montmartre that she stirred. Christian looked up from his position across from her.

"Hey Christian." Her voice was stronger, yet sleepy. As she sat up there was a twinge at the back of her head. Christian moved toward her hopefully.

"What did you find out?"

"I found out that the Duke still hates you." She unwound from her curled sleep position and sat up to face him massaging the back of her head. Presently, her head stopped throbbing and she could function without flinching. "That's not all. It seems that I've figured out why you are stuck here."

"Really?" Christian looked more excited than he ever had. His eyes brightened considerably and a large grin began to appear on his face.

"I also figured out how to find Satine."

"How?"

"Well, that's where the bad news comes in. You told me that you made a promise to Satine just before she died, but you haven't fulfilled yet."

Christian furrowed his brow and racked his brain for the memory. He flinched at remembering her falling limply into his arms. After shaking his head to clear the image, he concentrated on her words. She was in his arms whispering while he sobbed over her.

"Christian…tell our story."

Christian got up and began pacing excitedly.

"If you didn't find it at the Moulin Rouge, then it must be here somewhere."

"It's not that easy, Christian. True, it may be here somewhere, but it could have been damaged or even destroyed during the renovations."

"Oh. Right."

Juliet got up, stretched, and walked to the windows. As she went to stand in the warm sun, she tripped over a floorboard. She stumbled into her makeshift desk with a sharp yelp.

"Stupid floorboard." She crouched to examine her foe. "Must have come up when you were messing with my laptop."

"Oh, is that what that is called."

Juliet was still looking at the floorboard not entirely listening to Christian. There was something strange about it. That something was a slight shine under the hardwood.

"Christian, what was over here when you lived here?"

"My typewriter, I think."

"What did you do with it after you finished your story?"

Christian paused to think. What _had_ he done with it? That was such along time ago, more than a hundred years ago. He did remember that it was not there after he died.

"I don't know. It wasn't here after I came back."

"From where? The other side?"

"From the trenches."

"Oh," she said quietly. She could not imagine Christian in the hellish earthworks with a gun in his hands and fear or courage in his heart.

Even Christian was taken back to the horrific memories of days huddled in the dirt with explosions echoing around him. He remembered wishing to be able to go back home or die so he could join Satine. His second wish was granted by way of mustard gas, and after fifteen years without Satine, he had hoped to see her again. Obviously, his hopes were dashed when he was sent back to the Montmartre and the Moulin Rouge.

Juliet broke the awkward silence that blanketed the pair.

"I might have found it."

Christian looked up to see Juliet prying up the board. It pulled up easily. The others around it were a little more resistant, but they eventually surrendered. Underneath the floorboards was a rusty typewriter sitting on top of an equally rusty iron box.

Carefully, Juliet pulled out the typewriter and placed it gently on the hardwood floor next to her. She then pulled out the iron box with reverence.

"Christian," she said in a hushed voice. "I think we found it."

The pair was hopeful that the pages were inside and in a better condition than the container itself. There was no lock, but the rust hindered them for a moment. Opening the lid was equivalent to opening the treasure chests on Treasure Island, except this time there was actually something inside to be considered as treasure.

Inside sat a pile of papers, more than an inch thick and in relatively good condition. A few rips and stains littered their edges. The typewritten text was easy to read.

"I think that both our problems are solved!"

Happiness and excitement overcame Christian. Nothing could begin to describe his feelings. The wide grin on his face was enough to show his gratitude. Juliet, also grinning, set the box next to her laptop. She could type it up later. When she turned back to Christian, he enveloped her in a crushing hug. His energy seemed to be growing as he realised what this discovery meant for his future on the earth.

"Thank you. You have no idea what this means." There was a catch in his voice.

"It was nothing, Christian. All we have to do is get it read and published. It should take a couple of months, but you'll soon be free."

Tears of joy filled his eyes and a sudden, strong energy filled him. He swung Juliet around the apartment. Happy to see her friend so excited, Juliet's shriek of surprise turned to laughter. Christian wanted to sing like he had before Satine's death, but his delight could not be conveyed through music.

A knock at the door interrupted their celebration. Christian stopped turning and fell into a chair. He looked so human. The power and energy from success and love had given him extraordinary powers. He knew he would be exhausted later, but it was worth it. He had not been a part of any celebration like this since the Green Fairy had appeared to him.

"Come in! It's open!"

Neil opened the door and began to speak.

"I just wanted to see…"

He stopped when he saw Juliet grinning broadly and the man in the chair laughing between deep breaths.

"Who is that?" He gestured to Christian.

"You can see him?"

Neil looked at her like she was mentally unstable.

"Of course I can see him. Is there some reason that I shouldn't be able to?"

"Christian!" The cry was one of alarm rather than excitement.

He had started to loose his solid appearance. His now transparent head looked up at them in slight bemusement. Neil stared back in complete confusion and wonder.

"Neil this is Christian. Christian, Neil."

Christian stood and stuck out his hand. Neil took it somewhat hesitantly; of course, shaking hands with a transparent man was not something that he had ever done. Unlike Christina and Juliet's first handshake, his hand remained solid. Christian's form wavered and he excused himself from the pair. Juliet swore that she saw him give them a sly smile as he disappeared.

Neil still looked bewildered and he waited for Juliet to say something. When she only stared at him waiting for him to do the same, he took action.

"Am I missing something?"

"I'll let you know everything when I write a tell-all book."


	6. Chapter 6

Here it is, everyone. The final chapter of Ghosts of the Past. Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers. I hope you enjoy the ending and give me one last review. I don't own anything, as you know. So sit back and enjoy. With out further ado: Ghosts of the Past, Chapter Six.

* * *

Juliet finished typing the story and sent it off to her publisher. She gave full credit to Christian for his true story and the only actual writing she did on the book was a short foreword. Christian okayed it and waited anxiously to see if his story would at least be considered for publication. A few weeks later, she received a short e-mail stating that her book was going into production.

_**Dear Miss Morgan, **_

_**We are pleased to inform you that your book will be printed as planned. The story has caused quite a stir in the offices, as everyone is eager to read it. We are pleased with your work and hope that you will write or find more stories in the future. **_

_**Kindest regards, **_

_**Henry Zeigler**_

_**Cushing Publishers**_

That night Neil came over to celebrate with her and Christian. Christian was thrilled that he would see Satine in a matter of weeks. The trio was growing closer and twinge of sadness mixed with Christian's enthusiasm. Once he left with Satine, Juliet would be left alone. That was why Christian's guilt lifted a little when Juliet and Neil began growing closer. Of course, seeing them together made a small bit of jealousy emerge from within him, but he quelled the emotion by reminding himself of Satine.

Juliet's reaction to Neil's attention was obviously different from Christian's. Besides being flattered, she was also hesitant. Her last relationship had ended in disaster and she still could not talk to her family about it or even see her ex. Eventually, over the few weeks that passed Juliet became more excepting of her admirer. She found him both exasperating and equally charming. He was the one to go to when she needed to be cheered up. Like Christian, she too felt some guilt about leaving him out, but the guilt left her when she reminded herself that he would see his Satine in due time.

-X-

The weeks passed, and the trio found many things to occupy the long task of waiting. Mostly it was just introducing Christian to what he had missed while he had been dead and searching the Moulin Rouge for Satine. He seemed to like the movies of the early and mid- twentieth century the best, so they found themselves watching many a black and white film in the following weeks. Finally, Juliet's book was released. That night the trio journeyed once again to the antiquated Moulin Rouge. A light shone in the Gothic Tower and a shadow looked down at them. Juliet made a special point to avoid the crumbling building as much as humanly possible. The chanting melody of the song had begun and it came from the show building again.

Christian was as giddy as a schoolboy. A broad grin lit up his face and he looked as if he wanted to race into the building. His control over his actions in this situation was remarkable. They stepped inside the theatre, which was lit with memories and anticipation. Once again, the wealthy filled the audience and the brightly coloured costumes of the performers glinted in the light as they danced. Christian noted that neither the Duke nor Warner were in the audience.

Christian began to walk away from Neil and Juliet and made his way towards the ghostly-lit stage.

"Please, let this happen." He chanted the words over and over in his head like a personal mantra. The dancers parted, Satine's voice filled the air, the audience thundered, and Christian's heart beat rapidly. The decorated platform rose, but once again it was empty.

Christian's mouth dropped, as did his heart. After over ninety years of trying everything he could think of and over ninety years of wishing and hoping, it came down to this. The promise had not been kept. He had failed. He turned from the stage and walked down the aisle fighting back tears as he had done all those years ago. Juliet didn't know what to tell him and he did not acknowledge them.

Suddenly the performers, audience members, and even the backstage workers faded into the background until all that was left of them were blue glowing orbs. The orbs began to float lazily up to the sky. First one or two, then hoards of the souls that had been trapped at the Moulin Rouge traveled up to await judgment. As he walked up the aisle, Christian noticed the audience members rising. He stopped for a moment, hoping Satine would appear. When she did not appear, Christian kept walking to the double doors, but his gait was slower, more like a funeral march.

All the orbs were gone, leaving Neil, Juliet, and Christian in the light of the streetlamps. Christian made it to the door and was ready to exit, when a shower of silver confetti rained from the ceiling.

A beautiful woman in a long, white, beaded dress appeared on the derelict stage. After the confetti had fluttered to the ground and disappeared, Christian paused at the door and waited for a moment.

The woman looked around for someone and when her eyes found Christian, a smile appeared on her face. Juliet figured that this woman must be Satine. She could see why Christian had fallen for her. Christian had once said that Juliet reminded him of Satine and now Juliet could sort of see why. They shared the same body type and the same hair colour, even though Juliet's was somewhat darker.

When Satine realised that Christian was leaving the Moulin Rouge again, her smile dimmed. She began to look frantic and it looked like she was racking her brain to figure out what to do next. A beautiful sound filled the room as Satine opened her mouth and began to sing.

"Never knew I could feel like this

It's like I've never seen the sky before

Want to vanish inside your kiss

Everyday I'm loving you more and more.

Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing,

Telling me to give you everything.

Seasons may change, winter to spring,

But I love you, 'til the end of time."

Christian looked back at the stage. Indeed his love was there waiting for him. With a smile, he returned her song.

"Come what may, come what may,

Come what may, come what may."

Satine's smile returned as Christina, still singing walked to the stage.

"I will love you."

"I will love you."

He grasped her hands in his and they finished the song together.

"Come what may.

I will love you

'Til the end of time."

When they stopped singing, Christian held her close and kissed her. Satine returned his embrace and his kiss. After all their years of waiting, they were finally where they belonged; in each other's arms. Juliet smiled wistfully. She was not one for crying, but her eyes had started to well up. As she brushed them away, Neil came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Christian broke his kiss with Satine and looked to the pair that was watching them from the aisle. Neil and Juliet put up their hands in a farewell gesture.

"Thank you."

Another voice rang out after Christian's words.

"No! My way!"

They all turned to see the Duke standing in the doorway. It was not his presence that concerned them; it was what he held in his hand. The silver plating of a revolver glinted in the dim light. Neil jerked Juliet behind him protectively and Christian shifted so he was in front of Satine. Juliet peeked cautiously out from behind Neil's shoulder to see what was happening. The Duke seemed not to be concentrating so much on the women as on the men who protected them, most notably Christian.

"I don't like people touching my things."

By this time, the Duke had made his way up to the stage where Christian and Satine stood. Unlike his last attempt at killing the impudent boy, this time there was nothing to interfere with his plans and he would carry them out himself, which ensured his success. He held the gun up to Christian's chest with a malicious, even crazed look in his eyes. Without removing his eyes from Christian, he grabbed Satine's wrist and pulled her to him. Satine gasped at his vice-like grip, causing Christian to reach for her and the Duke pushed his weapon into Christian's chest.

"You try to stop me, _boy_," he spat out the word with venom. "And it will be the last thing you ever do."

"If you hadn't noticed, I'm already dead," he retorted icily. "There's nothing else you could do to me."

The Duke regarded Christian's words carefully. He had been isolated for so long, that he had almost forgotten about that minor detail. His eyes darted from side to side as he thought of a solution to his predicament. He had Satine thanks to the writer and his book, but he also had the issue of Christian. The boy felt for Satine; there was no doubt of that. To be with her he had to dispatch of the whelp some how. While thoughts raced through his mind, his grip slackened on Satine's wrist. It was enough for Satine to try to slip out of his grip and return to Christian. Her actions would have worked had the Duke not noticed.

Christian and Satine's fingertips barely touched before the Duke yanked her back to him.

"Do not test me!"

The Duke's eyes were slits and his hand that held the revolver twitched between the lovers. His eyes still slid from side to side trying to decide what to do. Then he had his own mini epiphany as his eyes hit upon Juliet. Even though Neil had pulled her behind him to protect her, she had slipped back in front of him, nonetheless, Neil still kept a defensive arm around her. The Duke smiled coldly at her and his gun hand stopped convulsing. Juliet noticed the Duke's gaze and squirmed uncomfortably into Neil. Juliet squirmed even more when she noticed that the barrel of the gun was aimed at her.

"I realise that I cannot kill you, but mortality, it seems, is a somewhat more fragile state."

Christian's, Neil's, and especially Juliet's eyes widened. None of them was sure whether it was a real or ghostly gun or whether the bullet would have any effect. Christian stopped moving. Now that a live was actually in danger, Christian lost most of his courage and turned into the same nervous wreck he was whenever he encountered the Duke.

"You should know not to trifle with me." He looked at Satine, who was trying not to let the fear show on her face. "I intend to get what my contract entitled me to."

Satine shuddered visibly and found that this time there would be no Chocolat to save her. The Duke began to pull a frightened Satine along while he kept his gun trained on Juliet. Suddenly, Christian jumped in front of the Duke and knocked him backwards. The Duke fired blindly, letting go of Satine. As the shot rang out, Satine tried to push Christian out of the way, but they were both in the way of the projectile. Christian hoped that the bullet did something to him instead of harming Juliet or Neil.

Juliet shut her eyes and waited for the pain. She felt herself being tugged out of harm's way by Neil. The Duke cried out a horrible scream, one of pure terror. His cry matched the expression on his face. His eyes grew wider and wider until his irises were completely surrounded by white. He threw up his hands to shield his face, but they did not help his fate. After firing the revolver, it had dropped to the ground unlike the bullet. Instead of hitting a target, whether it was Christian or Juliet, a shield of sorts formed around the ghostly couple and succeeded in causing the bullet to ricochet off the buffer and reverse its path. Now the projectile was aimed at the Duke. The shot impacted at his heart, or lack thereof, should have been. As it hit, the Duke's form began to shatter like he was a mirror or a piece of glass and someone took a hammer to him. Shimmering pieces flew through the auditorium and faded away when they landed. All that was left of the Duke were memories, the echo of a scream, and an ornate revolver.

All four of them were breathing hard, trying to understand what had just happened. They all looked to the revolver in silent fear that it would fire again. When nothing else happened, Neil helped Juliet to her feet.

"What in the…"

"Neil, they're joined by the bond of love, and you cannot track that, not with a thousand bloodhounds, and you cannot break it, not with a thousand swords."

"Shakespeare?"

"Goldman."

Neil looked confused for a moment before he recognized the allusion. Christian and Satine walked over to where the other pair stood. Satine first threw her arms around Neil and then around Juliet. She stammered for a minute with her eyes shining like she was about to cry.

"Oh, I-I…Thank you."

She broke away from them and Christian stepped forward. He shook Neil's hand and said in a brotherly fashion, "Take good care of her." Neil nodded and Christian turned to Juliet. She had promised herself that she was not going to cry, but she broke her vow and a few tears slipped from her eyes. She hugged him tightly as she could hug a ghost and wiped away the tears that fell.

"I'll miss you, Christian"

There was a slight choke in his voice as he answered.

"It'll be alright. I'll try to check up on you from time to time, if I can." He cleared his throat. "Thanks for everything, Juliet, and remember."

She looked up for his words of wisdom.

"We'll always have Paris."

Juliet smiled weakly and muttered, "Knew we shouldn't have watched that movie."

Christian managed a smile and lightly ruffled her hair.

"Thank you."

_With his words, Christian and Satine began fading and waving farewell to us. They faded until they too where the bright blue orbs that the others had turned into. The orbs flowed down the aisle and onto the stage. Another tear stung my eye. I was going to miss him. I only wish that I had gotten to know the woman he had talked about so much—Satine. _

_After reaching the stage, the orbs circled each other all the way up to the sky, and as they disappeared, a light rain began to fall and Christian's voice filled what was left of the theatre._

"_The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."_

_I believe his words with all my heart and wherever they went, I truly hope that they are happy. _

_My apartment is still the same, except there are no more shy ghosts fiddling with my laptop, writing messages on my bathroom mirror, or simply talking to me. I miss Christian, but he has not left, not really. His memory still lingers in the rooms and sometimes I can still hear him singing. Whether he sings a song or the words that he left me with, I still hear his voice echoing some times. _

"_The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."_

Juliet once again looked at her screen. It was no longer blank. Now it held the story that had helped set Christian and Satine free. It also held the story of someone else.

Juliet keyed in the print command and reflected on the ending. Christian was gone for good, but what she had written was true as were the final words of the book. Some of him was still there. His soul had left an imprint on the apartment, as did his personal effects. Juliet looked to Christian's typewriter, which she had cleaned and set in a place of honour. She had also kept the original manuscript of his story. She leafed through it from time to time to remind her of her friend.

A pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders and cut off her musings. Juliet jumped a little ways before relaxing into her captor.

"Juliet, I respect this whole writer thing, but do you have to do it in the middle of the night?"

Neil sounded tired and his rumpled hair could have proved lack of sleep if it was not tousled normally. He looked a pitiful sight in his flannel pajama bottoms and white t-shirt. She looked down at her own pajamas and back up at him. He was right, two thirty in the morning was a bit of a stretch of her work hours, but something had urged her to finish the book tonight. Juliet grinned sheepishly and tried to think of a good excuse. She found none and there was no way of worming out from underneath his arms. She turned to him as best she could and gave him an innocent look.

"Sorry, but I just had to finish tonight. It's the last time, I swear."

"What you mean to say is that it's the last time until your next book, right."

"Well, yeah."

A tan parchment envelope sat next to Juliet's laptop and the letter from it sat on top of it, still folded.

"What did Edward have to say?"

"Hmm? Oh, he offered his congratulations and said that if we wished, we could have the manor."

"That's nice of him."

"Mmm-hmm."

Juliet was still concentrating on her final copy. Looking for something to distract her, he looked at her monitor and began to read some of the text.

"You think my eyes are intense and chocolate brown?"

"Hey!" Juliet reached over, flicked a switch, and her screen went black. Neil now had her attention. "You're going to have to read that with the rest of the world."

"But now that you're finished, you'll be keeping regular hours, right."

"As long as there aren't anymore distractions, I suppose so."

He grinned down at her with his trademark boyish half-grin. He leaned closer to her ear to whisper in it, and as he did, Juliet breathed in bringing his scent along with the air. He was so close that she could feel his hot breath.

"What if I'm the distraction?"

She smiled back at him and raised a hand to his face. The light from her laptop glinted off the small diamond ring on her finger. They had not set a date yet, but they figured it was worth the wait. Now that Edward had offered them his mansion, they had a place to have it.

"You make a good distraction."

He grinned even wider, leaned down, and kissed her. She returned his affection, he pulled her up to him, and they stood in the moonlight with the sound of the printer whirring behind them. They collapsed on a couch and she snuggled against him and laid her head on his chest. She could hear the light thud of his heart and that eventually lulled her to sleep. He kept his arms wrapped around her and he too ultimately fell into sleep's grasp. The moon seemed to sing as they slept wrapped in each other's arms until sunlight reigned once again on the earthly plain.


End file.
